Trying to be Healthy for Once
by deanlovesaveleigh
Summary: The year is 1990, and Sam and Dean are children. Their father is out on a hunting trip, and Dean's babysitting at 11 years old.


"Dean?" Sam asked in a quiet voice. Dean looked behind him to see Sam standing beside his bed, hugging his stuffed moose, named Jerry.  
It was 11:00pm, and John was on another hunting trip. He would be back by 2:00am, he told Dean. "Go back to bed, Sammy." Dean sighed. He loved his brother, but sometimes he would get on his nerves.  
"I'm seven years old, Dean. Can't I stay up later?" Sam's voice rose up at the last word, hoping Dean would let him stay up late. Just this once.  
Dean looked at his brother. He looked at his worn grey pyjamas that his father had gotten at a second hand store, and his tangled dark brown hair. He had a hopeful twinkle in his sea green eyes, and was awkwardly standing there, waiting for a response. "Fine." Dean seccumbed, "But only this once!"  
"Totally!" Sam happily cheered as he hopped onto the crappy pull out bed, currently in couch form, that John was going to sleep on that night. "So what're you watchin' Dean?" Sam asked, curiously.  
"Dracula." Dean replied quickly.  
"Is it scary?" Sam asked cautiously.  
"Yes." Dean answered, hoping Sam would stop asking him questions and just watch it already.  
It was just at the part where Dracula was about to kill Jonathon Harker, when Dean looked at Sam. He was hugging Jerry tight, while his eyes were glued on the screen. As Johnny started screaming, Dean switched off the television.  
"Hey!" Sam protested. He was playing tough, but Dean knew well enough that Sam wasn't going to sleep anytime soon. "I was watching that, Dean."  
"Exactly." Dean rolled his eyes, "I have chips if you want any?"  
"No thanks. Those chips are disgusting." Sam sneered.  
"What? These chips are okay." Dean said, trying to be convincing, and failing. Sam looked at him with disbelieving eyes. "You want me to prove it? Fine. I'll prove it." Dean reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of chips. In order to prove to Sam that they were good, he needed to sell it. He stuffed the entire handful into his mouth, and started to chew. Sam was right, they were disgusting. Dean shoved it down though, all while making noises to show Sam that he liked them. "See, Sammy? Good." Dean handed the bag back to Sam as quickly as he could, trying to get those damned chips away from him.  
"Are they really that good?" Sam said, still not convinced.  
"Sam. Would I have eaten a whole handful of them if they weren't?" Dean said as he raised an eyebrow.

Sam slowly took a chip from the bag, and chewed it slowly, "They're okay I guess."

Finally. Dean thought. "See? Told you!"  
Sam took some more chips, and ate those. Dean could still tell that he wasn't crazy about them, but he was trying to prove to his big brother that he could eat the big-boy chips too. The only reason Dean was trying to get Sam to eat those damned chips was because they were lower in fat, and all natural. Dean had bought them with his own money that he had gotten in the small allowance that John had given him. The all natural crap was always more expensive. Sam always ate junk food, so why not make the junk food at least a little healthier, Dean had told himself. The thought that the chips were terrible didn't even occur to him, but if he could get Sam to fill up on that stuff, it was better than two big macs.  
Dean turned on Saved by the Bell, and Sam watched contentedly. It was around midnight when Dean turned to Sam to laugh at Zack, and saw that Sam was dead asleep. I should've known that Sammy couldn't stay up late. Dean thought as he chuckled.  
Sam was small, so Dean could pick him up, being 11 and all. He picked him up while grunting with effort, (good thing Sam was a heavy sleeper) and he eventually got Sam to his twin sized bed. Not very gracefully on Dean's part, but he got him there.  
The credits were rolling on Saved by the Bell, and Dean decided he should hit the sack too. He grabbed his simple blue pyjamas, and his old toothbrush. He went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth, and when he came back out, John was waiting for him.  
"You're up this late? Dean, it's 12:30am! What are you doing up?" John scolded him.  
"Sorry Dad, I lost track of time." Dean yelped as he hurried into bed.  
John sighed as he dumped his bag of weapons on the floor, slightly spilling some salt, "Did Sam go to bed late?"  
"No sir." Dean lied. John could tell Dean was lying, but it was late, and he was tired. He decided not to do anything about it.  
"Good man." John chuckled, as he started to open the pull out bed.  
Dean sighed in relief, thinking John had bought his lie, "I was just going to bed, if it's any consolation."  
"I'm sure you were." John grinned. As he was unpacking his 45', he eyed the wrapper of chips that Sam had eaten all of. "Dean, where'd you get this?"  
Dean perked up to attention, thinking he must have tripped up in his lie. He saw that John had picked up the crappy nutritious chips. "I bought it." he said quickly.  
"You _bought_ this?" John said, disbelievingly.  
"Yeah." Dean quipped.  
"Do you know that it's healthy, and probably costs more?" John asked him, holding up the wrapper.  
"It did." Dean confessed.  
"We don't have the money." John stated as he threw the wrapper into the garbage.  
"I thought it would just be a change from all the junk food we've been eating lately." Dean said, trying to make the situation better.  
"We?" John was caught off guard.  
"Yeah, we."  
"You mean, you shared this with Sam?" John said, as a smile started to creep across his lips. Of course, to Dean this was him smiling, thinking about what he was going to do to punish him. A month, no tv? No more staying up till 11? Two weeks of target practise, 24/7?  
"Yes." Dean said, biting his lip. He was prepared for anything.  
"Good man." John said, simply. Now Dean was caught off guard. He thought he was going to make him wash dishes, or something normal that you punish with. Not words of encouragement?  
"Huh?" Dean asked, dumbfounded.  
"Goodnight, Dean." John smiled. He turned out the light, leaving Dean confused, but happy.


End file.
